Achyranthes japonica

Achyranthes japonica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Amaranthaceae
Genus:	Achyranthes
Species:	A. japonica
Binomial name
Achyranthes japonica (Miq.) Nakai

Achyranthes japonica, commonly known as Oriental chaff flower ^[1] or Japanese chaff flower, is a perennial member of the genus Achyranthes in the family Amaranthaceae. It can be discovered on the roadside and its main distribution is in Korea and Japan. ^[2]

Ecology

A. japonica is a perennial plant growing to 50–150 cm (20–59 in) in height ^[3] with thickened roots. Stems are quadrangular, branched, and glabrous or slightly pubescent. ^[2] Stem nodes are dilated. The petiolate leaves are opposite, elliptic or oblong, and slightly pubescent, 10–20 cm (3.9–7.9 in) long and 4–10 cm (1.6–3.9 in) wide. ^[2] Leaf veins show an arced pattern similar to that of dogwoods. ^[4] Tiny green flowers bloom from August to September, with "bottle-brush" inflorescence spikes in axils and at terminals of the stem. Each flower has five fused stamens and a single pistil. ^{[2] [5]}

Achyranthes japonica fruits

Fruits are elliptic utricules, 2.5 mm (0.098 in), held tightly against the stem, with tiny branch-shaped bracts that easily stick to clothing. ^{[3] [2] [5] [6]}

Members of the genus Achyranthes in cultivation call for partial shade and rich, deep, well-drained soil, sandy and slightly acid. ^[7] A. japonica grows in woody areas in lowlands and hills. ^[2]

Chemical compounds and traditional medicine

The root of the plant is used in the traditional medicine of Korea. Several chemical constituents have been isolated. The seeds contain various hormones, including ecdysterone, rubrosterone, and inokosterone. The roots contain triterpenoids and saponins. The plant provides the antioxidant protocatechuic acid. ^[2]

Status in United States

Achyranthes japonica is an introduced species in the United States. It was first reported in Kentucky in the 1980s, and by 2014 it was established in nine states of the Ohio River basin. ^[6] As of 2025, the plant has been reported as far west as Missouri, as far south as Georgia, and as far east as Virginia. ^[8]

References

1. English Names for Korean Native Plants (PDF). Pocheon: Korea National Arboretum. 2015. p. 336. ISBN   978-89-97450-98-5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2016– via Korea Forest Service.
2. World Health Organization 1998, p. 3.
3. "Achyranthes japonica (Miquel) Nakai". Flora of North America. 5 November 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
4. Rathfon, Ron; Eubank, Eric (January 2013). "Japanese Chaff Flower" (PDF). Purdue Extension, Purdue University. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
5. "Japanese chaff flower". Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States. October 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
6. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. "Weed Risk Assessment for Achyranthes japonica (Miq.) Nakai – Japanese chaff flower". U.S. Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
7. Bown 2001, p. 99.
8. Weakley, A.S.; Southeastern Flora Team (2025). "Flora of the southeastern United States Web App". Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Herbarium, North Carolina Botanical Garden. Retrieved 31 January 2025.

Bibliography

• Bown, Deni (2001). New Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses (1st American ed.). London: DK Pub. ISBN   978-0789480316. "The Herb Society of America" on title page.

• World Health Organization, ed. (1998). Medicinal Plants in the Republic of Korea: Information on 150 Commonly Used Medicinal Plants. Manila: WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific. Compiled by Natural Products Research Institute, Seoul National University. WHO Regional Publications Western Pacific Series no. 21.